VOYAGEURS N.P.- Officials here have scrapped a controversial plan that would have restricted winter vehicle access on the park’s frozen lakes, ending a two-year process that drew sharp criticism from local residents, business owners, and state officials.
The decision, formally announced Tuesday, came with the termination of an environmental assessment tied to the Frozen Lake Surface Use Plan. According to a press release, the proposal was no longer necessary after staff concluded that winter vehicle use posed no greater environmental risk than summer motorboat activity. That finding made further federal review under the National Environmental Policy Act unnecessary.
The plan, first introduced in 2023 and revised in 2024, aimed to bring the park into compliance with federal regulations that restrict off-road vehicle use. But it would have significantly changed how people access Rainy Lake and Lake Kabetogama in the winter, limiting trucks, ATVs, and UTVs to plowed ice roads, and requiring snowmobiles or non-motorized transport for anything beyond. An access fee was also floated as part of the original proposal, raising additional concerns among locals.
Community response to the plan was overwhelmingly critical. At packed town halls in Kabetogama and International Falls, as well as in virtual forums, attendees questioned why a plan was needed at all for practices that had worked for decades. Park Superintendent Bob DeGross emphasized the Park Service’s obligation to follow federal rules, but that did little to calm frustrations. Residents said the proposal ignored the park’s unique character and the way northern Minnesotans have safely and responsibly used frozen lakes for generations.
Public comments submitted across two rounds of review underscored four major concerns. First, many objected to what they saw as a misapplication of federal law, a regulation written for land-based roads that they said doesn’t account for the reality of frozen water surfaces, and DeGross was taken to task for not adequately advocating for the uniqueness of the park with his superiors.
Second, people worried that restricting vehicle use beyond ice roads would severely limit traditional winter access, affecting not only recreation, but also privacy, safety, and the basic ability to reach fishing spots or remote areas. Third, the idea of charging access fees for use of frozen lakes drew sharp rebukes. Some questioned the legality of such fees on public waters, while others simply felt it was wrong to pay for something that had never cost money before.
Finally, residents took issue with the process itself. Many felt that the Park Service hadn’t adequately listened to local voices or reflected the realities of small-town life along the park’s boundaries. While the revised 2024 plan reflected feedback by rolling back some of the original restrictions, such as expanding plowed ice road mileage and loosening rules on unoccupied shelters, many believed the changes didn’t go far enough. As one commenter put it at last year’s Kabetogama meeting, “I kind of do believe you are on our side… but I think you’re put in a really bad position right now. And you didn’t hear us, or your superiors didn’t hear us.”
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources submitted its own objections, challenging not just the specifics of the plan, but the federal government’s authority to implement it. In a strongly worded letter to park officials, DNR Northeast Region Director Shelly Patton said the state of Minnesota never ceded ownership of its public waters, or the beds beneath them, when Voyageurs was established as a national park. According to the state, frozen lake surfaces remain legally classified as water, not land, and are governed by Minnesota law.
Patton argued that treating frozen lakes as extensions of the land in order to apply road regulations was legally flawed and could infringe on the rights of both the state and riparian landowners. She also pushed back on several practical issues, including a proposal that would have required people to occupy their ice shelters overnight in certain zones. Under Minnesota law, shelters may be left unoccupied for days at a time, provided they follow registration rules.
The DNR also flagged accessibility concerns, arguing that the plan failed to account for individuals with disabilities who may rely on enclosed vehicles other than snowmobiles to access the ice. And the department took issue with how the Park Service categorized rented ice shelters, warning that treating them as commercial fishing operations subject to federal permits went against state definitions and precedent.
Ultimately, the DNR called for the withdrawal of any provisions that would restrict access to state-owned public waters within the park, a stance that closely aligned with local sentiment voiced throughout the process.
Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown, was a strong critic of the frozen lake surface plan and rallied opposition at both the state and federal levels. After meeting with resort owners and houseboat operators in early 2023, he began pressing the U.S. Department of the Interior and NPS to reconsider, warning that the proposed restrictions threatened to upend winter tourism, local jobs, and generational access traditions.
“This is a huge victory for northern Minnesota,” Hauschild said in response to the plan’s termination. “From day one, I’ve said this plan was federal overreach that would devastate winter access and disrupt local businesses that have responsibly used these frozen lakes for generations. I’m proud to say our efforts paid off, and the voices of our communities were heard loud and clear.”
With the plan now off the table, park officials say they’ll return to their longstanding winter management practices. Superintendent Bob DeGross said the park will continue to plow ice roads on Rainy and Kabetogama as conditions allow. Anglers may also plow spur roads up to 300 feet from those routes for shelter placement. Vehicles heading off the roads must evaluate ice safety themselves, following state DNR guidance. Snowmobile trails and undeveloped portages remain closed to vehicles, with the Mukooda Truck Portage available by special permit.
DeGross said public comments gathered throughout the process will remain available online and will help inform future decisions.